Statting out Prehistoric Fauna for Fantasy, with new Common Names

[Blackhawk748]

So I love weird but functional ecosystems in my fantasy. I like watching something that could conceivably work and seeing how the world ripples out from that. The easiest way to do this is to posit the simple question of "What if X didn't go extinct?" and that often leads to interesting conversations. However, something I notice during these conversations is that the names are always the same.

For example, Koolasuchus is an Amphibian that could conceivably be alive in your average fantasy setting as a Temperate or Polar aquatic predator as it was in life. Except are they actually gonna call it a Koolasuchus? A modern example would be the Scalloped Hammerhead, what most people think of when someone says Hammerhead. Its actual name is Sphyrna Lewini but noone calls it that, they call it the Hammerhead. So wouldn't Koolasuchus have a common name as well?

And so that, among other things, is what has started this crazy little project of mine. I plan on statting out random Prehistoric animals that I like that weren't in a book proper (or that I didn't know about) and then give them what I feel would be an appropriate Common name. I will, of course, be including the animal's proper name so that we can all tell what it is. I'll be assigning CR as best as I can, but CR is weird as we all now so feel free to make suggestions.

Spadehead Salamander (Koolasuchus)

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Size/Type: Large Animal
Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp)
Initiative:+2
Speed: 10ft (2 squares), Swim 30ft
Armor Class: 15 (+2 Dex, +4 Natural, -1 Size), touch 11, Flat footed 13
Base Atttack/Grapple: +3/+12
Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d10+7)
Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d10+7)
Space/Reach: 10ft/5ft
Special Attack: Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Hold Breath, Improved Grab, Amphibious Charge
Saves: Fort: +7, Ref: +6, Will: +2
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Hide +4*, Spot +4, Listen +4, Swim +14
Feats: Skill Focus(Hide), Alertness
Environment: Cold or Temperate streams, Cold or Temperate lakes
Organization: Solitary or Pair
CR:3
Advancement: 5-7 HD (Large)
LA: -

Spadehead Salamanders are large aquatic predators who live in colder climates and live very similarly to crocodiles or alligators, with the largest difference being their extreme slowness on land and their immense bulk. They range between 13ft and 16ft in length and average to about 1,100 lbs in weight making them very potent predators.

Combat

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a spadehead must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, the spadehead establishes a hold on the opponent with its mouth and drags it into deep water, attempting to pin it to the bottom.

Hold Breath (Ex)
A spadehead can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 × its Constitution score (usually 68 rounds) before it risks drowning.

Amphibious Charge
A spadehead is capable of launching itself out of shallow water with surprising speed to catch foes just onshore. So long as the spadehead begins its charge in water and the first 10ft are in water (at minimum) then it may use its swim speed to calculate its full charge distance even if it travels overland.


Skills
A spadehead has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. *A spadehead gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in the water. Further, a spadehead can lie in the water with only its eyes and nostrils showing, gaining a +10 cover bonus on Hide checks.

[nxwtypx]

Looks good to me! The CR seemed low to me at first but after comparing it to other improved grab animals (Constrictor Snake, Octopus) I think your number is accurate.

[Blackhawk748]

Looks good to me! The CR seemed low to me at first but after comparing it to other improved grab animals (Constrictor Snake, Octopus) I think your number is accurate.

I based it off of a Crocodile, which is right there with those. I figured going to Large was worth a CR, and while I thought about the other toys I gave it I couldn't seem to justify CR 4

[Blackhawk748]

Thornhoof (Iguanodon)

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Size/Type: Huge Animal
Hit Dice: 10d8+60 (105 hp)
Initiative:+1
Speed: 40 ft (8 Squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+1 Dex, +9 Natural, -2 Size), touch 9, Flat footed 17
Base Atttack/Grapple: +7/+21
Attack: Hoof Spike +11 melee (1d10+6)
Full Attack: 2 Hoof Spike +11/+6 melee (1d10+6)
Space/Reach: 15ft/10ft
Special Attack:-
Special Qualities: Trample, Rear
Saves: Fort: +12, Ref: +8, Will: +4
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Spot +10, Listen +10
Feats: Alertness, Improved Toughness, Run, Endurance
Environment: Temperate Plains, Temperate Forests, Savanah
Organization: Solitary, Pair, or Herd (6-12)
CR:6
Advancement: 11-15 HD (Large)
LA: -

Thornhooves are large herbivorous animals that tend to travel in small family herds, seeming to prefer shrubland or plains that border forests. They are quite docile and have even been tamed by some cultures. Thornhooves rarely stand and fight, preferring to run from most danger, however, when threatened the males rear back and strike with deadly accuracy.

Trample (Ex)
Reflex for half DC 21. The save DC is Strength-based

Rear (Ex)
A Thornhoof can rear back onto it's hind legs in combat, giving it a greater ability to strike its foes. It may Rear as part of a move action and once it has Reared it gains a +2 Circumstance bonus on its Attack rolls and it's Reach increases by 5ft. however, its Land speed drops to 30ft.

[inuyasha]

Always happy to see more homebrew for 3.X! I love seeing monsters, and prehistoric fauna are pretty cool.

The Iguanodon looks solid, but I'd personally bump up the CR to 7 because of its high hit points and reach; it's a low CR 7 with no magical abilities, but I think that'd be a little better than 6. Besides that there's a small typo in the AC (117 flat-footed AC? Yikes, haha!) and it seems to be missing a feat, probably toughness to qualify for the improved version

I like this though! Very cool!

[hamishspence]

There's always my old Dunkleosteus statblock:


Dunkleosteus (Bladetooth Terror)

Huge Animal (aquatic)
Hit Dice: 20d8+83 (173 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft (8 squares)
Armor Class: 25 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +16 natural), touch 9, flat footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+30
Attack: Bite +21 melee (2d8+10/x3 or Powerful Charge 2d8+10/x3 plus 2d6)
Full Attack: Bite +21 melee (2d8+10/x3)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft
Special Attacks: Improved grab, swallow whole, crushing bite
Special Qualities: Keen scent
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +13, Will +13
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Listen +12, Spot +13, Swim +15
Feats: Improved Natural Attack (bite) Weapon Focus (bite) Powerful Charge, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Toughness, Improved Toughness
Environment: Warm aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 21-40 (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -

This prehistoric fish has a heavily armoured, massive body, and viciously sharp bony plates line its jaws.

Combat

Dunkleosteus bites with its powerful jaws, swallowing smaller prey whole. It uses its crushing bite to sunder anything that might pose a threat to it.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Dunkleosteus must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins a grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the foe in the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex): Dunkleosteus can try to swallow a grappled opponent of up to one size smaller by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8+8 points of bludgeoning damage plus 1d10 +6 points of acid damage from the animal's digestive juices.
A swallowed animal can cut its way out using a light slashing or piercing weapon by dealing 30 points of damage to the animal's digestive tract (AC 15) Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.

The gullet of Dunkleosteus can hold 2 Large, 8 Medium, 32 Tiny, 128 Diminuitive, or 512 Fine or smaller opponents.

Keen Scent (Ex): Dunkleosteus can notice creatures by scent in a 90-foot radius and can detect blood in the water at a range of up to half a mile.

Crushing Bite (Ex): Dunkleosteus deals bite damage as if its jaws were adamantine weapons for the purpose of bypassing the hardness of objects and overcoming damage reduction. On a critical hit, its bite deals triple damage.

Skills: Dunkleosteus has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the Run attack while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

It's a bit on the hefty side - but might fit with the 11m version here:

https://www.deviantart.com/harry-the...size-808872651

I took a few ideas from various monsters - sharks, T. Rex, and the leucrotta (which also has blades instead of teeth).